Washing-machine.



F. H. TRAU..

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION men JUNE 3. 191a.

1 ,206, 1 74. Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

Mu /12W UNITED strn'rns PATENT un on.

FRANCIS H. TRAU, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

WASHING-MACHINE.

Application filed June 3, 1916.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, FRANCIS H. TRAU, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful improvement in WVashing-Wachines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates generally to washing machines, and more particularly to a device or apparatus which can be readily placed on top of a tub, and which device is adapted to be operated manually or otherwise for the purpose of agitating and washing the clothes contained within the tub.

The principal objects of my invention are, to provide a comparatively simple and inexpensive washing apparatus which can be easily and quickly placed in position upon or removed from a tub; to provide an apparatus which includes a top or cover for the tub which contains the articles-to be washed, a portion of which-top or cover is hinged so that it may be readily swung upward to gain access to the interior of the tub, and said device being provided with simple easily operated means for imparting rotary movement to the clothes engaging member positioned within the tub to which the apparatus is applied.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a washing appliance of my improved construction. 1 Fig. 2 is a cross section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1. F ig; 3 is an enlarged vertical section of a pivotal connection between two parts of the operating mechanism of the machine. Fig. at is a horizontal section taken approximately on the line 4r-4: of Fig. 2.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, 10 designates a cover plate preferably formed of heavy sheet metal and of 'sufiicient size to cover standard makes of tubs, and depending from this cover plate near its edge is a flange 11 which fits within the u per portion-of the tub A, as illus .trete inFig. 2.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

seria No. 101,485.

Formed in the cover plate 10 is an open.- ing 12, preferably rectangular, and formed on the edge of said cover around said opening is a short vertically disposed wall or flange 13.

Fixed to the top of the cover plate adjacent to the flanges at the front and rear of the opening 12 are metal bars 1 1, the same being extended on one side of the cover and fixed to said extended ends is a metal bar or rail 15 which serves as a base or support to which may be clamped a wringer (not shown).

Fixed on top of the rear portion of the cover plate is a bracket 16, preferably of cast, metal, to the inner-end of which is hinged one end of a cast metal plate 17, the same extending across the opening in the cover plate and carried by this last mentioned plate is a rectangular section of sheet metal 18 which fits snugly within the flanges 4 13 and serves as a door to normally close the opening 12.-

Depending from the rear end of the bracket 16 is a lug 19 through which passes ing a bearing plate 21 which is adapted to engage the outer face of the upper portion of the tub A to which the device is applied. Fixed to the front portion of the cover plate and on the top thereof is a bracket 22, the same being provided at its outer end with a depending lug 23 which receives a set screw 24 carrying at its. inner end a bearing plate 25 which is adapted to engage the wall of the tub to which the device is applied.

sheet metal door 18, and formed integral with the lower portion of this shaft is a pair of vertically disposed outwardly projecting ribs 31. Arranged to slide vertically on the lower portion of this shaft is a clothes engaging member, preferably composed of a circular block 32, from which depends a a set screw 20, the inner end thereof carryseries of fingers 33. The lower end of shaft 30 is provided with a flange 3% which retains the clothes engaging member upon said shaft. Fixed on the upper portion of the shaft between the plates 17 and bracket 29 is a pinion 35, and meshing therewith are the teeth of a segment plate 36, the latter being loosely mounted on a stud or trunnion 37 which projects upwardly from the plate 17. Formed integral with or fixed to this segment plate is an arm 38 in the outer end of which. is loosely mounted a pin 39, the upper end of which is bifurcated as designated by 40.

Pivotally connected to bracket 16 is a socket 41 which receives an operating handle 42, and connecting this socket with the bifurcated upper end of pin 39 is a link or rod 43.

The device thus constructed is applied to the top of a tub and clamped thereto by a proper manipulation of the screws 20 and 24, and after the latching finger 26 has been shifted so as to engage pin 28, the handle 42 is manually engaged and reeiprocated with the result that oscillatory movement is imparted to segment plate 36 and this movement through pinion 35 to shaft 30 and the clothes engaging member carried thereby;

The fingers 33 depending from block 32 engage the clothes within the tub and as the shaft is oscillated, the clothes will be rotated first in one direction and then in the other, and this movement through the heated water very rapidly and effectively performs the cleansing operations.

In the event that it is desired to open the door comprising the plate 18, latch finger 26 is swung to one side as illustrated in Fig. 1, after which the hand lever 42 is engaged and swung downwardly to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and as a result, the door 18 and parts associated therewith will be elevated to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, thus permitting ready access to the interior of the tub. After the washing operation has been completed, the door is swung upward and the washed articles can be removed from the tub and passed through a wringer, which latter is clamped firmly to the cross bar 15 at the side of the tub.

During the operation of-the machine, the are of movement of the arm 38 is limited in one direction by the bracket 29 and the movement in the opposite direction is limited by a stop pin 44: which is formed integral with or fixed to the plate 17 Depending from the brackets 16 and 22 are plates or fingers which extend through the cover plate 10 and lie immediately against the inner face of the flange 11 thereof, and these fingers serve to reinforce the flange at the points directly opposite the 6 screws 20 and 24 and'thus when said screws It will be readily understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of my improved washing apparatus can be made and substituted for those herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim 1. In a. washing apparatus, a cover plate adapted to be applied to a tub, said plate being provided with an opening, a frame fixed on top of the plate around the opening therein, a door adapted to fit within the frame and close the opening in the plate, a plate secured to the top of the door and extending across the same, one end of which plate is hinged to the cover lat means on the opposite side of the cover plate for engaging the free end of the plate on the door to hold said door closed, a shaft journaled in r ried by the door which stops are in the path of travel of the arm projecting from the toothed segment.

2. In a washing apparatus, a cover plate adapted to be applied to a tub, said plate being provided with an opening, a door adapted to close said opening, a centrally arranged plate fixed to and extending across the top of said door, a plate fixed to the top of the cover plate to the side of the door opening therein, the plate on the door being hinged to the plate on the cover plate, a. bearing formed in the center of the plate on the door, a shaft journaled in said bearing, a clothes engaging member carried by the lower portion of said shaft, a pinion fixed on the upper portion of said shaft, a toothed segment jou-rnaled on the plate on the door adjacent to the bearing thereon, the teeth ofwhich segment engage the t-eethof the' pia- 1011, an arm fixed to and projecting outwardly from the toothed segment, a stop pin fixed on the plate on the door on the opposite side of the toothed segment from the bearing on the plate, said bearing and pin forming stops to limit the swinging movement of the arm which projects from the segment, a lever fulcrumed to the plate on the cover plate, the fulcrum point of said arm being directly in alinernent with the of the arm projecting from the toothed segment.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature this 1st day of June, 1916.

FRANCIS H. TRAU.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

